


We are here now

by burdenedwithgloriousfandoms



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (I know season 7 isn't going to play out like this but whatever this is FANFICTION!), Adam and Shiro and Keith's little gay family, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Shadam, Shiro and Adam get the sappy reunion they deserve, Shiro-centric, The Paladins return to Earth, adashi, angst (a little bit), at least the Garrison isn't trying to torture them or whatever, its the best ship okay and I love my gay bois, wow the Garrison is corrupt but I'm not going to mention that, written before season 7 (non-canon compliant)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 14:48:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15560121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burdenedwithgloriousfandoms/pseuds/burdenedwithgloriousfandoms
Summary: He's just attempting to explain what had played out over the past year or so while they'd been fighting the Galran Empire when a side door slams open with enough force and noise that everyone in the room turns towards it.The man who barges through is almost like he's been cut out from Shiro's memory and pasted in here.He hasn't changed.Sure, he may look a little tireder, his shoulders may be a bit broader, hair decorated with streaks of grey, but it's Adam.His Adam.





	We are here now

**Author's Note:**

> Wow Adashi and all the gay has cured me of writer's block. On the down side, that means I was up til ungodly hours with writing fever.

Arriving on Earth is a shock, no matter how much time they've had to prepare themselves for it.

They land the lions a bit away from the main cluster of Garrison buildings, and from their vantage point they can already see the vehicles throwing up dust as they approach.

As soon as they step out onto the reddish earth, it hits Shiro again, hard. _They're back._

_He's back._

He'd never fully expected they would get back to Earth, or at least that he'd still be with them by then. It had been a concept his mind had grasped at, but he'd never really allowed himself to consider.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Lance and Hunk on the ground, Lance kissing the dust, Hunk burying his fingers in it, tears pouring from his eyes. They’ve all grown so, so much in their time away from here, because they’ve needed to. They’ll all stronger, smarter, and more aware.

And more hurt.

Matt pulls Pidge in for a teary hug, and both Krolia and Keith stare out into the desert, memories clouding their eyes. Allura, Coran and Romelle look around curiously, and Keith's space wolf is already sniffing everything with curiosity.

They've been to so many planets, but Earth has and will always have a special place in their hearts.

 

As soon as the Garrison trucks reach the crest of the hill, everyone’s stance changes. Keith steps in front of Krolia and the three Alteans, knife in hand, and Lance moves next to him, gripping the red sword he'd been practising so hard with. Shiro clenches his new fist, and unclenches it, and clenches it, trying to keep himself calm.

 

The dust cloud surrounding the vehicle hangs in the air, choking them, and Iverson steps out, backed by a group of soldiers.

'Oh God.' Shiro hears Keith whisper from behind him.

 

'What the hell?' Iverson stares from one Paladin to the next, and finally his gaze lands on the aliens at the back. Shiro steps forward.

 

Explaining the situation is slightly difficult, and in the end they all pile into one of the trucks. Keith is on one side, and Shiro the other. He holds everyone close, and tries not to think about the patchy memories from when the Garrison had last found him.

No one speaks, until the main cluster of buildings rises up in front of them and they're bundled out and back into the blinding light outside.

'This brings back so many memories.' Lance murmurs, and Keith tightens his hold on his boyfriend's hand.

Pidge giggles at them, despite the circumstances. 'Sure does. Hey Keith, remember when you tried to kill us all by riding the hoverbike off a cliff?'

'Oy.' Keith protests, jabbing Pidge. 'I knew perfectly well what I was doing.'

This is met by a couple of disbelieving snorts, but soon enough the oppressive silence falls again. Almost instinctively, the group forms a protective circle around the (visibly) non-humans. Shiro looks up at one point, and can see hundreds of curious faces pressed against the windows, staring down at them.

 

It brings back so many memories for him too.

He and Adam pressed up against those very windows, staring out over the desert to watch a launch. Meeting Keith for the first time, as he ignored class and gazed aimlessly out into the dust. Watching Adam in his office, or classroom, from the ground outside, imagining himself throwing pebbles at the glass several stories up, like boyfriends were supposed to do.

_Adam_

 

He stops thinking about the past, shoving his memories into the back of his mind, and focuses on the present, on the group huddled around him.

Instead of going through the main entrance, filled with escaped students pointing, yelling, and even taking photos, they take a side door and are led through a hallway into one of the empty conference room.

 

 

Four hours and several top-secret interrogations, as well as numerous tests later finds Shiro gazing around the room. Pidge and Hunk are curled up in a corner, Coran is stretched out asleep across several chairs, Romelle and Allura- who'd got very close over the trip- are wrapped in a blanket in one of the large meeting chairs. Krolia and Keith's space teleporting wolf thing are perched on the table watching over everyone, and Keith and Lance are wrapped in each other's arms, sleeping peacefully for once, armour plates shed and laid on the floor in a pile.

It's a shame he has to wake everyone, but Iverson has called an emergency press conference, and they're all instructed to come.

 

*

 

Romelle and Keith's wolf stay behind in the room, armed with snacks and shitty hot chocolate, and Allura firmly tells the guards that if anything happens to the two, whoever responsible will face the full wrath of the Altean Empire.

(There aren't many Alteans left to bring down that wrath, but the guards don't need to know that. Allura can be pretty scary anyway, even by herself.)

 

There's quite a few more guards waiting to escort them to the room where the press is waiting, and once they get closer they all realise why.

Even from the back corridors, the amount of noise is overwhelming. Someone's yelling for quiet (probably Iverson), and there is the sound of camera shutters clashing with the voices of reporters. They're led to an area behind the stage that, yup, Iverson is currently yelling from, and Shiro can see the varying degrees of terror etched into the team's faces, apart from Coran, who actually looks excited, and is saying something optimistic about meeting new species.

 

 

And then it's their cue to walk on.

 

There's a sudden, shocked silence, and then the cameras start clicking and the reporters start calling out and Iverson starts growling with anger again. They all file on, and take their places at the seats set up for them. The room is cavernous, Shiro thinks as he stares around. At the very front of the room sit Garrison, government and international officials. Behind them is the media, though he can barely see that far because of the haze of bright light obscuring his vision, freezing him to his chair like a rabbit staring into the headlights of the car bearing down on it.

Keith lays a comforting hand on his arm, other hand tightly around Lance's, and the conference begins.

Shiro takes a deep breath, and speaks. He's the oldest (human, anyway), the leader (even though Keith had taken his place amongst the Paladins, he's still the most experienced of them).

'Hi... I'm Shiro, this is Keith Kogane, Lance McClain, Pidge- uh, Katie Holt, Hunk Garrett, Matt Holt, Krolia- Keith's mom actually, Allura, and Coran. Allura and Coran are from a planet called Altea, and Krolia is one of the Galra, from a rebel group. She was on Earth for a while years ago.'

 

This statement is met with more shouted questions and camera clicks, but Iverson tells them to shut it or miss the story. They shut it, and Shiro is reminded of the occasions when the man had actually been rather, although gruffly and awkwardly, kind towards him.

 

Shiro tells the shortened version of the story, trying not to go past what the Garrison had permitted him to say.

He's just explaining what had played out over the past year or so while they'd been fighting the Galran Empire when a side door slams open with enough force and noise that everyone in the room turns towards it.

 

 

The man who barges through is almost like he's been cut out from Shiro's memory and pasted in here.

 

He hasn't changed.

Sure, he may look a little tireder, his shoulders may be a bit broader, hair decorated with streaks of grey, but it's _Adam_.

 

Adam, with his crooked glasses. Adam, with his cheeky grin, his careful hands, his warm brown eyes.

 _His_ _Adam_ , with who he had shared so many late nights under the dark sky, so many cold winter mornings when neither of them had wanted to get out of bed, so many bad days and good days, fears and victories.

His Adam, who he had abandoned for the stars and a desperate hope for one last adventure before his world crashed down around him.

 

'Takashi.' He says, and Shiro can't tell if it's a whisper or a shout, and Adam is shoving his way forward. The security guards move to block him, but Iverson motions to them and they stop.

At some point in time he’s stood up, and is walking, as if in a dream, slowly, towards Adam.

 

They meet halfway up the steps to the stage.

 

Adam practically _flings_ himself at Shiro, and Shiro catches him surely in his arms, wrapping the flesh one tightly around the other man as he lets himself fall into his shoulder.

And sob.

 

They cling to each other, like their world is falling apart all over again, like if they let go they'll be swept back apart by the ocean of space.

 

' _Takashi_.' Adam breathes, and it's been so long since anyone has called him that.

It feels like he's coming home.

 

'Adam.' He sobs, 'Adam, Adam, Adam.'

 

'Takashi, it's okay, I've got you back now. You're safe.'

 

'I should have listened, Adam. I should never have left. You were right.' Shiro can barely bring himself to look up into Adam's eyes.

 

'You're back now, you're safe.'

 

'No, Adam. I died.'

 

'You better fucking explain, Takashi. But later. I need to know, I need you to tell me one thing.'

 

'What?'

 

'Do you still love me?'

 

'Oh, Adam.' His heart is tearing into pieces, and the tears are falling again.

 

'I left you. I left when you needed me the most. I understand if you can't forg-'

 

' _Adam_.' Shiro says, and kisses him.

 

 

It's everything he'd thought he'd lost.

Adam kisses him back, just as fervently, holding into Shiro for dear life.

 

Everything he thought he'd lost. It's hope, light, love, happiness, and weekend mornings when Adam had got up early to make them pancakes.

It's them against the world, just the two of them under the stars, just Adam and Shiro, Shiro and Adam.

Running together between classes in the pouring rain, books clutched to their chests, to sitting on the roof of their apartment and watching the stars, tracing constellations onto each other's bare chests. It's everything he loves about Adam and more, everything they've been through, together and apart.

 

'I love you, Adam. I've loved you my whole life and I'll never stop.'

 

'Takashi.' Adam can't seem to choke anything else out, but Shiro doesn't care.

 

'Hey, um, not to spoil your fun, but Shiro, you were just getting to the part where we stab Zarkon and he fries you- which, when you think about it, was pretty fucking cool... I mean, apart from the fact that you died and all, but-'

'Language.' Shiro interrupts over his shoulder to Lance, and there's a few giggles.

'Aww, come on, you never tell Pidge off. And if you're gonna get all mushy-mushy over your boyfriend, I can get all mushy-mushy over mine and we can have this conference tomorrow when we're not sobbing over how much time we've been apart for.'

'Fiance, actually.' Adam says, and Shiro thinks he's going to cry all over again when the beautiful man in front of him takes the old pair of rings off the chain around his neck and offers them to Shiro. 'If you'll have me, of course.'

' _Adam_.' Shiro manages to say, and takes hold of the smaller ring with trembling fingers and slips it onto Adam's finger. Adam picks up the other ring and slips it into Shiro's.

 

Suddenly there's clapping, and Shiro looks up, startled to see all the Paladins (+friends) clapping, crying (especially in Hunk's case), and rushing towards the two for a group hug.

 

And then someone in the crowd below starts clapping too, (Iverson? No way, can't be.) and then everyone's clapping, and the cameras are clicking, and they're clinging together as if they're about to be swept away by the tides of war.

Which they are, Shiro thinks to himself as he gazes over his family- _how it's grown since it was just him and Keith and Adam-_ and holds them tight.

 

But for now, they're safe.

They still have time to live, and time to prepare before war descends upon them again.

So he buries those thoughts for a later time, because now is a time for life, for love, for hope. He is here now, they're all here, back with their loved ones, back together.

 

And Shiro smiles to himself and kisses Adam again.

 

They're here now.

 

 

They're home.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really happy to have finished that and got my two cents in before season 7 murders us all with Feels. Holy quiznak I can't believe there's less than a week to go!  
> I'm stockpiling tissues yay.
> 
> (Oh, also, August 10 is World Lion Day. Dreamworks is trolling us)  
> Please leave kudos and a comment if you enjoyed this,that would make my day! <3


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